This portion of the Globe was once an important part of the Roman
Empire.
As every Scout knows this great nation penetrated as far north as the
borders of Scotland, and ruled over England for nearly 400 years. They
also held Germany, France, and Spain, and the larger portion of North
Africa.
In the course of our travels in Algeria, we came across remains of the
Roman occupation, the finest of these being the ruins of the city of
Timgad.
These have been dug out of the sand, and preserved, so that it is now
possible to walk through the paved streets and visit what were once
the market place, theatre, bathing establishments, temples, public
libraries, and private houses of people who lived there over 1800
years ago.
The usual Roman house consisted of a front hall leading into a central
open-air courtyard, which was surrounded by a colonnade, and had a
fountain or tank full of fish in the centre. Then leading out of this
were the owner's study, sitting-room, bedrooms, dining-room, and a
series of three bathrooms, one warm, the second hot, and the third
cold.
The floors of the rooms were made of cement, upon which ornamental
mosaic was inlaid, that is, a pattern made out of very small stones of
different colours.
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